Globalisation and rapid environmental change have created many challenges for public and private organisations across Iraq as a developing country, particularly in the higher education sector. This includes, for example, decreases in government funding; increased demand for higher education; a need for economic transformation, and related competitiveness of organizations. Such challenges require exceptional leaders and strategic planning in order to take action to improve. In Iraq, the higher education sector is still one of the main foundations in progressing the knowledge economy. Studies into leadership style, strategic planning processes, and the importance of leadership and organisational culture to an organisation’s success have been used to assist both public and private Iraqi colleges in responding to the challenges they face. Although, some studies have examined the interaction between leadership and strategic planning, and leadership and organisational success, there has been no empirical study that has investigated how these three variables interact together. Thus, this study aimed, firstly, to identify the current leadership styles and strategic planning processes in the colleges and the challenges they faced, and to gain an understanding from the perspective of the senior leaders themselves as to how they might best respond to the current situation. Secondly, based on the participants’ experiences, knowledge and perceptions, the study aimed to identify implications for both practice and policy to help improve the colleges’ outcomes. The study involved a mixed-methods approach and was conducted in two stages. During the first stage, the researcher gathered quantitative data by administering a survey package to 129 leaders (deans, associate deans, and heads of departments) across both public and private colleges in the capital city of Baghdad. During the second stage, the researcher gathered qualitative data to more deeply explore the survey results by conducting individual interviews with a sub-sample of 21 leaders from both college types (ten public and 11 private). In the data analyses stages, both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were applied to compiling tables and charts, and to test hypotheses, by employing the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), Microsoft Excel, and NVivo. The results of study showed that both transformational and transactional leadership styles played a varied and vital role in the colleges’ strategic planning processes, and in turn their success. The fact that private colleges were ‘for profit’ and public colleges were ‘not for profit’, as well as their contrasting funding models, highlighted key differences between the two college types’ leadership and general modus operandi. While it was found that both transformative leadership and transactional leadership styles were necessary to address the challenges colleges faced in the Iraqi educational context, the impetus for change extended far beyond the need for professional development of leaders. The embracing of information communication technologies, and reliable Internet was seen as necessary in all aspects of the colleges’ work and provision for teaching and learning, and students’ success. This applied to both college types along with the need for closer adherence to government regulations and more focused government coordination of colleges’ administrative functions. Furthermore, implications for making successful improvements to practice also identified the need to manage the challenge of sociocultural influences on the appointments and promotions of leaders. It was concluded that a greater emphasis on teamwork and provision of incentives for staff, along with a ‘boost’ to pedagogy and practice, which could be provided through the adoption of information communication technologies and appropriate professional development strategies, would enhance the colleges’ ranks and the status of their qualifications. Also, theoretically, the study offers a value-add to leadership, strategic planning process, and organisational success literature in the form of a conceptual model that links these variables in the context of Iraqi higher education sector.
Investing in renewable energies, including biomass, is an important topic in Iraq. Research indicates that there is great potential for renewable energy in Iraq, including biomass, but achieving this great potential requires clear strategies and significant investments. This research sought to determine the amount of biomass energy that can be produced by the residues of eight Iraqi crops: wheat, barley, oats, corn, rice (straw), rice (husk), cotton, and sugar beets. could produce. Calorific value and accessible residue amount were considered to determine the residue's potential for energy. Estimates for 2021 showed that 1,308,516 tons of agricultural residue would be available overall for the eight crops. The two crop
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Currently regions in the world are much affected with dust storms, rising and suspended dust, as Iraq is suffering of this state as well within an eye-catching manner, whereas the storms leave negative traces on environment and public health and many of the other vital utilities. This research aims to diagnosis of the reasons that resulted in increment of dust storms in Iraq basing on some recorded data and to be analyzed in conformity with the prevalent theories and concepts at the atmospheric science and environmental physics. Generally the study, has illustrated that the climate changes and increase of temperatures averages because of green house effect, that followed by clear changes at thermal wind and jet stream, that caused to ins
... Show MoreAntacids are commonly used drugs which are considered inert and free of pharmacological effect by many patients and physicians. They are weak bases that neutralize the gastric acid and relief pain. These weak bases dissociate to neutralize gastric acid and form neutral salts. The ultimate goal of antacid therapy is to reduce the concentration and a total load of acid in gastric juice to a pH 4 - 5. This in vitro study was promised to study the acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) of six commonly available antacids tablets in the Iraqi market by using back titration method. The highest ANC values were for Rennie (17.131± 0.083 and 16.926± 0.052 mEq) in two different hydrochloric acid (HCl) concentrations 1N and 0.5 N, respectively. The static
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This study presents an updated checklist of the dipteran-borne diseases in Iraq, together with their original name combinations and synonyms. According to this checklist, 152 species, 40 genera within 14 families. Furthermore, minor corrections were applied to some authors’ names and years of publication.
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In this study, the synoptic analysis of dust storm for spring and summertime in Iraq were investigated. The images for dust provided by NASA are used to emphasize the dust storm days, while the composite maps of wind vector and geopotential 850hPa are mapped to investigate the pressure and wind direction patterns appearing with the dust condition in the same days. Spring has more dust frequency than summertime, especially in May. The frontal type of dust storm is dominant on spring, the cold air pushes the warm air that picking up the sand to the air through the vertical wind, but the southwestern high-speed wind and drought condition were controlled on the dust in summer. The northwestern wind is the main factor that carries the dust for l
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In this research we solved numerically Boltzmann transport equation in order to calculate the transport parameters, such as, drift velocity, W, D/? (ratio of diffusion coefficient to the mobility) and momentum transfer collision frequency ?m, for purpose of determination of magnetic drift velocity WM and magnetic deflection coefficient ? for low energy electrons, that moves in the electric field E, crossed with magnetic field B, i.e; E×B, in the nitrogen, Argon, Helium and it's gases mixtures as a function of: E/N (ratio of electric field strength to the number density of gas), E/P300 (ratio of electric field strength to the gas pressure) and D/? which covered a different ranges for E/P300 at temperatures 300°k (Kelvin). The results show
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The Rate theory of crack growth in PVC pipe has been studied for creep and fatigue crack propagation. Rate theory function parameters, (RTFP), were estimated theoretically from exponential function parameters, (EFP), to experimental data of crack velocity versus stress intensity factor ,(V-K) diagram, to creep crack propagation . Also (RTFP) were estimated theoretically from (EFP) to experimental data of (V-?K) diagram to fatigue crack propagation. Temperature effect with (RTFP) was discussed. Crack velocity function denoted with stress intensity factor and temperature degrees has been determined to fatigue and creep crack propagation theoretically and comparative results this function with experimental data of (V-K or ?K) diagram .
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